CHAPTER 756: CHAPTER 756: FIRST FRACTURE

As Kaito collapsed, face-first onto the canvas, Chase followed, gloves raised, ready to rain down hammerfists to seal it.

But before he could land a single shot, the referee dove between them, arms outstretched, shouting over the tension in the room.

"Stop! It’s over!"

Chase pulled back mid-swing, taking two quick steps away. His expression didn’t change much.

No wild celebration or taunts, just a focused breath through the nose and a sharp nod, as if this had been inevitable.

Kaito rolled onto his side, dazed, one glove limp over his face as the medics moved in. The room was quiet except for their voices and the shuffling of boots on the mat.

Damon stood at the edge of the ring. His arms were still crossed, but his shoulders rose slightly with a long, slow breath.

The streak was broken.

Team Cross, undefeated until now, had taken their first loss.

He didn’t flinch nor did he frown. But the edge in his eyes faded just a touch.

Across the cage, Ivan was already smiling. His coaches clapped, and the few fighters standing behind him finally cracked into celebration.

They weren’t rowdy, they knew how to hold their moment, but their energy was undeniable.

This was their first real win.

Chase’s teammates stepped into the cage and surrounded him, some patting him on the back, others locking forearms.

Chase simply turned, still calm, and glanced back at Kaito being helped to the stool. He gave a short nod, no gloat, just respect.

Damon watched it all.

Then he finally turned his back to the cage and walked away in silence, already thinking about what came next.

The opposing team was overjoyed, and rightfully so. For a long stretch, it had looked like loss after loss would define their run. The morale had dipped. The pressure had mounted.

And even though most of them privately thought Chase was arrogant, cocky, and hard to deal with, none of that mattered right now.

He’d gotten the job done.

He’d stopped the bleeding.

So they celebrated him like a hero.

They didn’t hold back, arms over his shoulders, grins all around, laughter echoing in the space where the mood had once been tense and bitter.

For the first time in a while, their side of the locker room didn’t feel heavy. Even Ivan clapped Chase on the back and muttered something quick and approving in his ear.

Whatever anyone felt about Chase personally, in this moment, he was the reason they could walk tall again.

Soon, the referee called both fighters to the center of the cage.

Kaito moved slowly, bruised but composed, jaw tight as he stood in front of the ref.

Across from him, Chase bounced on the balls of his feet, still charged with adrenaline, his grin wide and unfiltered.

The referee grabbed both wrists and turned toward the camera.

The announcer stepped forward, voice sharp and booming.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the referee has called a stop to this contest at three minutes, thirty-four seconds of Round Two, declaring the winner by knockout..."

He paused, letting the moment breathe.

"...Chase Dunham!"

The referee raised Chase’s hand high.

Chase let out a loud yell, pumping his free fist as his team stormed the cage behind him.

He turned to the crowd of fighters and staff lining the walls, beating his chest, then wrapped an arm around his cornerman’s shoulders, laughing through heavy breaths.

He pointed toward the opposite corner with a smirk, not taunting, but soaking in the moment.

His first win under the spotlight. And he felt every second of it.

As the fighters left the cage and the energy settled, Damon gathered his team in the back room.

The celebration from the other side echoed faintly through the walls, but no one in Team Cross paid it much attention.

Kaito sat on the bench, a towel draped over his shoulders, head down, still catching his breath.

The sting of the loss was fresh, but it wasn’t just the defeat, it was how it happened. Chase had overwhelmed him.

Damon didn’t yell. He didn’t pace or rant.

He stood in front of them, calm, composed.

"Look up," he said, his voice steady.

Kaito raised his head.

"You showed heart in there. Took hits, stayed in it, tried to adjust. That’s not failure, that’s a lesson."

The rest of the team stood in a semicircle, silent but attentive.

"Chase fought well. He had a night. That’s all. This doesn’t define you."

Kaito nodded slowly, still hurting but hearing every word.

Damon looked around at the rest of the squad.

"We win as a team. We lose as a team. But what matters is how we show up next time. Nobody here gets a free ride. You want redemption? Earn it in the next round."

A few of the fighters exchanged nods.

Damon turned back to Kaito.

"Take tonight, feel it. Then let it go. You’re not done."

Kaito gave a faint nod again, this time with more purpose behind it.

Damon clapped him on the shoulder, then looked around the room one more time.

"Alright. Get cleaned up. We reset tomorrow."

The team broke away, quieter than usual, but grounded. They hadn’t lost momentum, just got reminded this wasn’t going to be easy.

Kaito’s time on the show had come to an end.

But Damon had made sure to speak with him before he packed up. He told him clearly, without sugarcoating or false hope, "This loss doesn’t define you. Don’t let it be the reason you stop fighting."

Kaito had listened, quiet but focused.

Damon believed in him. Not because of potential or raw talent, but because of his attitude.

Kaito showed up every day, stayed disciplined, and never made excuses. He was a good fighter. He just ran into someone better on the night.

That’s how this game went.

Damon had seen enough to know that if Kaito stayed the course, kept training, kept pushing, he’d get into the UFA sooner or later. He had the tools. He had the mindset.

All he needed now was to keep moving forward.

As long as he didn’t give up, the door would open again.